Across Time and Sea
by SlytherinMegitsune
Summary: Merida had grown to be a beautiful and strong woman. Sesshomaru had helped to defeat Naraku. What Neither of them expected was to meet eachother and fall in love. Read as two different people (not so different it would seem) from different worlds and different times fall in love in this extremely different fanfiction!
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! This is a new kind of cross over! Reviews are welcomed!

Merida climbed the firefalls pillars to drink from the top as she had started to do as a tradition every year since the first time. Eight years have passed since the little adventure she and her mother had. Life has been absolutely perfect. The boys have grown to be fine young teens. Which marks the beginning of their training to become great kings.

She smiled at the thought. She was supposed to get married and become a queen. But her suitors fell in love and got married and started families. She didn't mind though. She thought of them as brothers if anything. Her mother the queen would have been down her throat about finding a husband if she was like she used to be. She has changed significantly.

Sitting at the top of the very pillar she climbed the first time. She stared at the beautiful sunset. She thought about how amazing it was to be free. To have no worries of looking after an entire kingdom. She could train herself. Be a great warrior.

Over the years her body has refined. Her body curves in a way a womans should. But her muscles refined more like a mans. Her facial structure has sharpened out making her skin glow even more radiant. She stopped wearing dresses and started wearing tight riding pants and loose fitting blouses and knee high brown leather boots. She let her hair flow free. The blouse covered her bulging breasts. Thankfull the blouse made them look smaller.

As the sun had finally set she stood up to get ready to climb back down. She turned to look at the falls one last time and caught a glimpse of a strange blue light emanating from behind the water. She stared curiously and looked around to see if she could find a foothold in the rocks. Seeing a nice hold she lept and latched to the side of the cliff. She sighed with relief and started inching her way towards the light. As she got closer she saw an opening just big enough to freely stand and pulled her way in. Wiping her forehead she took a step forward. The light was coming out of a stone carved with the celtic swirls of her ancient people.

As she crept closer the light began caressing her skin leaving the feeling of calmness in its wake. She closed her eyes enjoying the feeling. All the sudden she felt a great pull on her body and gasped her eyes flashing open. She was floating in a world of blue light. She frantically looked around trying to find a way to escape but found nothing. Smacking her head and cursing herself for acting without thinking. How could she be so stupid?!

Then seconds later she felt like she was falling and braced herself for impact. Yet there was no impact. She opened her eyes and looked around and saw she was flying. But she could not fly and realization hit her that she was being held in two strong arms. She looked up and saw the most beautiful man she had ever seen. He had long silver hair and beautiful lightly tanned flawless skin with some strange magenta markings on his cheeks and eyelids and he had the most beautiful eyes the color of molten gold. She blushed as he glanced down at her.

Suddenly she was dropped to the ground not even knowing they had landed. She rubbed her bottom which was now throbbig. She stared and glared at her rescuer. He stood staring at her not even showing that he did anything. He reached over and touched her hair. She flinched thingking he was going to strike her. He grunted and pulled his hand back and looked at her with curiosity.

She took this moment to look him over. Now that she had a better view she could see that he was very tall. Taller than her father. He wore strange clothing and had on his left shoulder a huge metal spiked armour and on his right a long white fluffy thing. She thought she saw it twitch but shrugged it off. She looked up at his face again and saw that he had pointed ears. Could he be the Fae that was in the legends? After all legends are stories that ring with thruth. At least that's what her mother always said. Her stomach clenched. Her mother. Her family. They must be worried sick about her. She began pacing and mumbling to herself.

Sesshomaru noticed the girls emotions change. He lifted his hand and placed it on her arm. She stopped and looked up at him. He stared into her eyes and calmness took over once more. He lifter his hand and ran his fingers through her hair.

He looked at it as it ran through his fingers and said, "Your hair is like fire."

Her heart skipped a beat. His voice was deep but soothing like the sound of the waterfalls hitting the pools beneath them. She looked at his hand and noticed the magenta markings and his sharp claws. She shuddered thinking what those claws could do to someone. He noticed her shudder and his hand dropped to his side once more.

He looked into her eyes and saw the most beautiful eyes he has ever seen. They shined like the ocean when the sun glistens off of it. "What is your name?" He asked.

Her heart skipped again and her hands shot up and she began to fidget. She cleared her throat and spoke as calm as she could."Merida. May I ask your name?" She asked politely.

He was surprised by her tone. She sounded like she was trained by royalty but did not look it. "My name is Sesshomaru. Lord Sesshomaru. Of the Western Lands. Where are you from?" He asked.

"I am from the Highlands of Scotland." She answered proudly.

He quirked his eyebrow questioningly. "I do not know of this Scotland you speak of."

Her Stomach dropped. If he did not know of Scotland then where was she? Licking her lips nervously she asked, "Where am I?"

"You are in Feudal Japan." He answered.

Tears sprung to her eyes. She did not know what Japan was. She had never heard of this place. She could be in a whole other world. She only knew of Scotland and the surrounding countries like England and Ireland.

Sesshomaru noticed her discomfort but did nothing to console her. He stood there looking around the perimeter making sure they were alone. He waited until she was done crying then held up his sleeve for her while looking away. She just stared at it questioningly. He glanced at her and said, "Wipe your tears."

She stood there for a moment a little wary but reached up and wiped her tears on the sleeve. After she was done she took a look around to get a a feel of her surroundings. The sky was beginning to darken leaving the surrounding mountains as black as the deepest part of the ocean in a slightly dark blue sky. She shivered as a cold wind swept through the clearing.

Sesshomaru watched her with great curiousity. She was strange. Very different from the other women in this country. She was human. That much he knew. With no powers. Her hair was a color he has never seen before. Her eyes held much knowledge. Never before has he seen such a person in all his life. She dressed strangely he noticed. He has never seen clothing like it before. He looked her pver and noticed her weapons. She was carrying a bow quiver over her shoulder. The arrowns were hooked to a belt of her hip, a sword on the other hip, and a dagger in her boot. He looked at her hands which were calloused and there were many cuts that were fully healed leaving white scars against her already pale skin. Her muscles he could tell were very refined and she was lean but still had the curves a woman should have.

Merida noticed his staring at her and blushed. She has never been stared at by a man before. She shuffled her feet a bit and tucked her hair behind her ears. "Um, Lord Sesshomaru?" She said quizitively.

His eyes shot back up to hers. 'So formal.' He thought appreciatively. "Yes?" He answered.

She bit her lip and slightly blushed. "I do not know where I am and I was wondering...If I...If I could um. T-travel with you. Until I can find a way home that is..." She fumbled with her words a bit. Afraid he would say no. She risked a glance at his face which a turned emotionless.

He stoof there for a moment then nodded and began walking. She smiled and followed closely behind. Both of them had many questions that needed answered. They had a long road ahead of them. What neither of them knew is that they had just begun a journey they never have expected.

(A/N): Well this is the first chapter. I know it may seem a little hurried but I have more chapters to come! Review please!


	2. Chapter 2

They had been walking for about eight hours and Merida was beginning to tire. She was dragging her feet and walking aimlessly behind Sesshomaru. Noticing this he stopped. Merida not seeing him stop walked right into his back and fell back. Just as she was about to land on the ground his arm was around her and he placed her back on her feet but did not let go. She blushed and stared into his eyes. He stared back at her and they stood like that for a moment before he let go and turned away.

"We will camp here for the night." He said emotionessly.

Merida only nodded and began collecting wood for a fire. After she was finished making the fire she found a nice soft place to lay down and placed her weapons beside her. As she lay there she thought about her family. She missed them and hoped they were okay. She hoped she could find her way home soon. She soon fell asleep dreaming of the reunion.

Sesshomaru watched her as she slept. He did not know how she came to this land. He was very intrigued by her. He knew that his brothers companion had come strangely to this land and had hoped that once they met up that he would have his answers. The batttle with Naraku was long over. They had won of course. The miko never returned back to her home. After the jewel was completed and the wish had been made the well had sealed and she was trapped here. The last he heard the two were mated. At one point that would have angered him. But seeing how powerful she was he could not have been prouder of his younger brother. He had come to terms with Inuyasha and they now got along. They still fought from time to time but that is how siblings are after all.

He sat at the base of a tree and stared at Merida. 'What a strange name.' He thought. She looked strong physically. He already knew she was mentally. Any ordinary woman would still be frantically crying her eyes out. But she was no ordinary woman. That much he could tell. He wanted to know more about her. He never felt like this before. He felt something change in him as soon as he looked into her eyes. There was something about her that he couldn't figure out.

She looked even more beautiful with the light from the fire dancing across her face and hair. Her beautiful hair. It was fascinating to say the least. So red with a a dash of orange here and there and extremely curly. Her skin was so pale and looked like cream. He no longer hated humans thanks to Rin and Kagome.

Hours passed and the sun began to rise. He stood and walked over to Merida. Leaning down her gently shook her awake. Merida woke with a start and reached for her dagger. Sesshomaru stood and calmly looked down at her. She looked up and placed her dagger back in her boat. She mumbled and apology and stood to gather her things. She placed her weapons in the correct places and put out the fire. Once she was finished they began walking again.

Merida looked up at Sesshomaru as they were walking and asked, "May I ask where we are heading?"

Sesshomaru only glanced down at her then looked forward before answering. "We are heading to my brothers forest."

She nodded and then thought for a moment. "Why are we going there?" She asked.

"His mate will be able to answer some questions regarding you." He answered.

"Oh." She said. Merida fell silent after that and they continued for a few more hours before Sesshomaru stopped.

He glanced over at Merida and said, "Wait here." Then he disappeared.

Merida surveyed her surroundings. Seeing no threat she sighed and leaned against a tree enjoying the rest. A few minutes passed and Sesshomaru returned carrying a couple rabbits. Merida sighed with relief and collected firewood and started a fire. She walked over to Sesshomaru and held her hands out to him and he silently handed over the kill. She smiled and pulled out her dagger and began gutting and skinning the rabbits before staking them and placing them above the fire on a makeshift rotisserie.

Sesshomaru eyed her appreciatively as she went about preparing the meal. He saw how she chewed her bottom lip as she concentrated. Her eyes reflected the flames in her sea colored iris'. Her nose crinkled slightly as smoke flew in her face. She glanced over at him and a slight smile formed. Once the rabbits were done she grabbed them and walked over to Sesshomaru and held one out for him. He looked up at her and reached out to grab it; his eyes never leaving hers. She blushed and then went back over to the fire and sat down to eat.

Once they finished eating and put out the fire they were once again traveling. Merida walked next to Sesshomaru chancing glances at him when she thought he wasn't looking. She had many questions buzzing in her head. She was beginning to become very interested in him. She wanted to know if the legends were true. If he was actually a Fae.

Sesshomaru could feel her little glances and her questioning aura. He glanced down at her as they were walking. "You have questions." He stated.

She froze for a moment and blushed at being caught and continued to walk. She nodded and looked up at him but continued to look around her. "I wanted to know if you were Fae." She said.

He quirked his eyebrow not expecting such a statement. "I am a Youkai." He said.

This was Meridas turn to quirk an eyebrow. "What is Youkai?" She asked.

"A Youkai is a demon. I am an Inu Youkai." He stated.

"An Inu Youkai?" She asked more interested than before.

"Dog Demon." He answered.

Merida glanced up at him again. This time more scrutinizing. "You don't look like a dog." She said.

Sesshomaru chuckled slightly. "That is because I am full blooded." He said.

Merida thought for a moment. "If you're full blooded what does a half blood look like?" She asked.

Sesshomaru stopped and stared down at her. She was biting her lip again which made him growl low. To low for her to hear. "Hanyou is the correct term. But regarding your question all hanyou show slight things regarding their race. My brother for instance is in fact a half breed. He has dog ears and his teeth are more like a dogs." He finished explaining and turned to begin walking again.

Merida smiled now that her questions have been quelled she began following him. Sesshomaru glanced back at her. She was twirling her hair in her finger as she looked around their surroundings; her other hand never leaving her sword. He quirked an eyebrow at this. She was prepared for an attack which he scoffed at for her to be doubting his ability to protect her. He stopped again and she began to draw her sword surveying the surroundings for danger.

"There is no need for you to draw your sword human." He said flatly.

She blushed and sheathed her sword; her hand never leaving the handle. "Sorry. New surroundings. Never hurts to be at the ready." She exclaimed.

Sesshomaru nodded. "You do not need to worry. I am quite skilled in battle and I am quite certain we are safe. I do not detect anyone in these woods."

Meridas hand dropped from her sword. She blushed again. What was it about him that her acting like a teenage girl?! She shook her head and smiled up at him. Sesshomaru looked forward again. Noticing the sun beginning to set he glanced back down at Merida whose eyes still have not left his person. He saw her blush before she quickly looked away. He smiled secretively and they continued to walk. They had been walking for at least five more hours when she yawned and and rubbed her eyes.

Sesshomaru looked down at her, "We will make camp soon." He said.

Merida barely heard him as her body was aching all over and her eyesight was going in and out of focus. She stumbled forward a bit and Sesshomaru held his arm out to stop her from falling. He wrapped his arm around her and lifted her into his arms. She blushed but being to tired she did not protest and cuddled closer to his chest. Sesshomaru stiffened a little but held her more tightly. She was getting to him. He hardly knew her but still he could not understand why she kept getting him to do things he would normally never do. His beast hummed in delight at the closeness of her. He subdued the urge of the beast and started walking again.


	3. Chapter 3

Merida yawned and curled closer to the warmth that she felt surrounding her. Her hand clenched something furry and soft and she smiled to herself. She heard a low growl and snapped her eyes open. She looked up and saw golden orbs staring down at her. She stilled when she realized he was carrying her. Noticing that he still had not let her go she blushed.

"Morning." She said trying to be casual.

He only grunted and placed her on her feet. He continued walking like it hadn't fazed him at all. She puffed her cheeks and followed. He had stopped at the top of a hill. She was about to say something when she gasped at the sight of the land sprawling before them. It was beautiful! She could see many farms and saw carts being pulled through them. She saw a small village tucked into the side of a forest.

She looked back up at Sesshomaru only to see him gone. She looked around her and saw him walking down a trail towards the village. She leaped and began running up to him. Once she caught up she glared up at him only to see him smiling.

"What is so funny?" She asked exasperated.

He chuckled. "This is the first time seeing you not noticing your surroundings." He stated.

She rolled her eyes and bit her lip so as to not smile or laugh. She looked back up at him and fidgeted a bit. "I want to thank you for carrying me." She said blushing.

He only nodded and kept walking. She took that as a "You're welcome." and kept following him. By high noon they had made it to the edge of the village and she noticed people staring at them. Well not so much Sesshomaru as they were her. Which made her fidget nervously. Sesshomaru placed his hand on her shoulder as to calm her. She calmed down and out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of orange and heard a child squealing. She jumped back and her eyes widened in surprise to see a small girl with brown hair wearing an orange robe hugging Sesshomaru and talking animatedly. He only patted her head and looked down at her with soft eyes but tried to look icy.

She watched the little girl and thought about how cute she was when she noticed a smalller kid with orange hair and a tail staring up at her as if he was scrutinizing her. She smiled down at him.

"Hello." She said.

He quirked his eyebrow at the sound of her accent. "Who are you?" He asked.

"I'm Merida. What is your name?" She asked.

"Shippo." He Said simply. His tail bushled as he heard a man yelling his name from accross the village. He ran behind her trying to hide from whomever was after him.

Merida looked up in time to see a flash of red and saw a man with white hair and dog ears on his head and he looked angry. She heard him curse and he reached around her grabbing the small child and yelling at him and punched him on the head. She gasped and grabbed Shippo and punched the man sending him flying. She didn't notice Sesshomaru's jaw drop at that. She only held onto to Shippo as she checked him for any injuries. Shippo only laughed and kept saying he was fine.

Satisfied that he was indeed alright she placed him on the ground before stomping over to the man and began berating him about how a person should not hit children and that he should be ashamed of himself. He jumped up and began yelling at her for hitting him and that she should mind her own business.

Just as she was about to punch him again she had noticed that a crowd had formed. One person stood out from the others. A woman who was wearing what looked like pants and some kind of shirt. Remembering Sesshomaru saying that there was a woman who was diferent like her she assumed this was she. Forgetting about the man she was fighting with she walked over to the woman and smiled holding her hand out to shake the womans hand. The woman smiled and shook it.

"Hi, I am Merida." She said smiling.

"Hello, I am Kagome the village priestess." The woman said.

Meridas smile widened at having been correct about the woman. She heard the man she had previously been fighting with grumbling angrily behind her and turned to say something when the necklace around his neck glowed and he plummeted to the ground. To say she was surprised was beyond anything. She looked up at Sesshomaru to get an answer only to see him trying to hold back laughter. Thoroughly confused she looked down at the man as he crawled out of the hole he had made when he impacted. He yelled at Kagome for sitting him. 'Sitting him?' She asked herself. She turned back to said woman and looked at her with questioning eyes only to see her laughing at her reaction.

Kagome calmed herself and apologized explaining that the man who now was confirmed to be Inuyasha wore subjugation beads which meant he did what she wanted. Merida nodded her head now understanding. She noticed that the crowd had begun to dissipate. Kagome asked her and Sesshomaru if they would like to join them for tea and they headed for the hut at the other side of the village.

Once everyone had settled in the small hut Kagome went about making the tea. Merida took this time to survey the people in the room. Inuyasha was sitting next to Kagome and she wanted so badly to touch his ears. He noticed her staring at him and scoffed turning his head annoyed. She rolled her eyes and looked at the two children playing. She saw that the small boy had little objects in from of him. Upon closer inspection she saw a couple leaves, acorns, and an object she has never seen before but was fascinated by it spinning. Rin who Sesshomaru had told her was the girls name was clapping her hands watching the top grow and shrink which made even Merida a grown woman giggle gleefully at the object as well. She stopped her giggling hoping no one heard and looked up at Sesshomaru and saw a small smile play across his lips as he glanced at her. She blushed and brushed it off.

She looked up as a cup of tea was placed in front of her by Kagome. She smiled up at Kagome and noticed a red crescent moon on her neck. She made a mental note to ask about that later. Kagome returned to Inuyashas side and smiled at him before sipping from her own cup. Merida sipped the tea and was fascinated by the flavour. It tasted like mint and oranges. She made a small happy sound and guzzled the rest down asking politely for more. Kagome giggled and poured more into her cup. Merida blushed and started sipping it savoring the flavor this time.

Kagome placed her cup down in front of her and placed her hands in her lap. "So what brings you to the village Lord Sesshomaru?" She asked.

Sesshomaru looked at her and said, "I have come here because Merida has come here like you have." Which earned collective gasps from the other four in the room.


	4. Chapter 4

Merida looked around the room to see horrified and currious looks from everyone except Sesshomaru who sat stoic and ready for an explanation. Kagome stood and walked over to Merida eyeing her curiously. She looked at her hair and the clothes she wore and at her weapons taking in the strange markings that were carved into them. She sighed and walked back to her previous place next to her mate.

She continued to stare at Merida before saying, "You are from Scotland I am guessing."

Meridas heart jumped a bit at hearing her home lands name coming from someones mouth other than her own. "Yes!" She exclaimed. "How is it that you know but no one else does?" She asked excitedly curious.

Kagome smiled. "Well as I am sure Lord Sesshomaru has told you I am not from here either. I come from five hundred years in the future." She explained with a slight sadness.

Meridas head was swimming. "The future? Like time traveling?" She asked.

Kagome only nodded. "From what I can tell you have also time traveled. But what perplexes me is that you also traveled from an entirely different continent. I am very intrigued by this." She said.

Merida was having a hard time wrapping her head around this new information. How could time travel and land jumping even exist? She had always believed in magic but she had never thought about this being possible. She chewed on her lip trying to calm herself. Feeling Sesshomarus hand on her shoulder she leaned against him which earned a surprised gasp from Kagome. Merida brushed it off and ran her hand through her hair and sat straight again.

Kagome cleared her throat and asked, "So how did she come to traveling with you Lord Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru looked back at Kagome and explained about how he was traveling here to see his ward Rin when he saw Merida falling from the sky. He caught her and after finding out where she was from which he explained to the rest of the group exactly what she had told him making everybody gasp in wonder. Merida sat there listening but not really paying attention. Once he had finished everyone was silent. She took another sip from her already refilled cup and looked about the room. Kagome was the first to speak.

"Well Merida. It seems you will be here for a while until we can figure all of this out. But what I can tell you is I was brought here with a mission. Which means that the gods have a mission for you or they would not have brought you here. You must be very special to have been chosen by them. What the mission is I do not know but only time will tell." She explained.

Merida began chewing on her lip again thinking about the words Kagome had just said. 'What was so special about her?' She asked herself. Suddenly she noticed how exhausted she was and wanted nothing more than to sleep. She would think more on this once she woke.

She yawned and apologized and ask if there was somewhere she could sleep. Kagome was more than happy to accomodate her and Sesshomaru in an empty hut next to theirs. She politely thanked her and stood to leave. Sesshomaru rose and bowed his head before following. They entered the hut and saw matts already placed next to an already burning fire. She sighed and placed her weapons against the wall and layed down grateful for a bed.

She looked over at Sesshomaru who had chosen to lean against the wall next to the door. She smiled and propped her head up on her hand her elbow being the only support on the floor. "Sesshomaru?" She said.

His eyes traveled to hers and he stared at her. "Hn?"

"Why did Kagome gasp when I leaned against you?" She asked.

He lightly smiled. "No one ever even touches me. Save for Rin that is." He said. She swore she heard a slight sadness in his voice.

She sat up and leaned forward a bit. "Why is that?"

Sesshomaru looked up at the ceiling sighing. "People are scared of me. They believe that I will kill them for even being in the same proximity of me." He explained.

Merida quirked her eyebrow at him and looked him over. Now that she was truly looking at him she could see why people thought that. Traveling with him has taught her different. He may look intimidating but to her she could see more than that. She sees a man who is lost. A man who looks like he needs a companion. "I don't understand why." She finally said.

Sesshomarus eyes snapped back to hers and he looked at her questioningly. "What do you mean?" He asked curiously.

She smiled and stood walking over to him and sitting next to him she laid her head on his arm. "I see more than just a man who is intimidating. I see a man who is in need of companionship. Who just wants to have someone near him." She explained sleepily.

To say that he was shocked would say the least. He did not show her that but stayed quiet. He leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling. How could she see through his mask so easily when she hardly knew him? He wondered why she could see what no one else could. He smiled to himself and he glanced down at her. While he was lost in his thoughts she had fallen asleep. He lifted his arm and gently laid her head in his lap and placed his Moki Moki around her to keep her warm. He would never do this for anyone else but Rin. He sighed and leaned his head back again and closed his eyes falling into a light sleep.

The next morning Merida awoke feeling refreshed and stretched. She stopped abrubtly feeling a hard chest with one of her hands. She opened her eyes and saw a sleeping Sesshomaru. She sat up slowly so as to not wake him and turned to face him. She thought he look like an angel. Some of his hair had fallen over his face. His mouth parted slightly letting out silent breaths as he slept. The sun she swore practically reflected off his perfect skin. She began blushing at seeing him like this. His armour was gone and his Moki Moki as he had told her the day before was on the floor next to him. His top had come loose and part of his chest was bare. She wanted to know what his skin felt like. She licked her lips nervously and slowly her hand came up to touch it. Her fingers lightly brushed the skin on his chest and she trailed them up to the markings on his collar bone.

Sesshomaru felt someone touching him and clenched his eyebrows before opening his eyes. Not moving so as to not alarm said person. As he opened his eyes he saw a blushing Merida tracing the markings on his collar bone. His beast began to purr at the touch. He decided to see how far she would go and closed his eyes feigning sleep. He felt her fingers trail up to his face cupping his cheek. He suppressed the urge to lean into her hand. She leaned closer feeling her breath on his skin and her hand left his cheek. He slightly pouted mentally only to feel a little rush as her fingers were suddenly tracing his ear. Her finger brushed the tip making him purr with pleasure and suddenly her prescence was gone. His eyes snapped open and he saw Merida facing the floor blushing madly. He chuckled at her innocence. She chanced a glance only to see him staring at her making her blush deeper. She couldn't look away which made his beast growl with pleasure.

Merida stared at him for what felt like an eternity. Her blush never fading. "I'm so s-sorry Sessh-sesshomaru!" She finally stuttered. Biting her lower lip she looked at the floor again.

Sesshomaru and his beast growled low at seeing her biting her lip. He had the urge to bite her lip himself. He quelled the thought and chuckled at her as she silently chastised herself for such behavior. He leaned in close to her ear lowering his voice to a husky growl, "It would seem you like what you felt."

Merida blushed deeper (If that were possible) and buried her face in her hands. Not wanting to look at him in fear of what she would do. She did not trust herself at the moment. She was a princess! Not only that but a maiden at that! She couldn't believe she was thinking such thoughts! She inhaled sharply and dared a look at him only to see him still extremely close to her face. She couldn't take it any longer and ran out of the hut leaving a chuckling Lord in her wake.

Reaching a safe distance she stopped and looked around at her surroundings and found herself in the forest by the village. She saw a big tree and sighed leaning against it. She can't believe she did such a thing. It was completely inappropriate for a maiden to act on impulse when it came to things of that nature. She chuckled to herself thinking how she was beginning to sound like her mother. As she leaned there calming herself she heard an arrow hitting its target. She would know that sound anywhere. She followed the sounds of the arrows and found Kagome notching and arrow into her bow. She hid behind a tree so as to not get caught and saw the arrow begin to glow a soft pink. She became fascinated by it and watched as the arrow flew to its target making it dissentegrate as soon as the two touched. Meridas jaw dropped in surprise. 'How is that possible?' She thought to herself.


	5. Chapter 5

Kagome notched another arrow in her bow and without looking she asked, "Are you just going to hide or are you going to come out?" and shot her arrow dissentegrating yet another target.

Meridas eyes widened. How did she know she was there? She stood straight and moved out from behind the tree and walked slowly over to Kagome. "How did you know I was there? I made sure I didn't make a sound." She said.

Kagome laughed, "I am a miko. I can feel a persons prescence or aura." She explained.

"That is a pretty nice trick." Merida said.

Kagome chuckled. "It is no trick. More like a gift really. My mate can't even sneak up on me. It's amusing catching him when I let him sneak up close behind me and I sit him. It does come in handy during battle though and Miko powers are purifying so all I have to do is place some of my power in my arrow and shoot it at my target and it will dissentegrate." She explained.

Merida only stared at her in wonder. 'She sounds so powerful!' She thought to herself. "May I shoot with you?" She asked.

Kagome nodded and they began shooting targets Kagome not using her powers this time and did it more like a sport. After about two hours of shooting both girls smiled at eachother and began cleaning up.

Kagome was gathering the targets, "You are really good at shooting arrows. How did you learn?" She asked.

Merida smiled sadly and said, "My father started teaching me when I was really young. As I got older I began teaching myself. Even made my own course. After I finished my own training I began learning to fight hand to hand and sword fighting. My mother at first did not understand being that I am a princess but seeing that she could not control me she let me be and I have been training myself as hard as possible so as to become a great warrior."

Kagome stood still and listened with awe. She was surprised to find out that Merida was a princess but even more surprised to find out that a Scottish princess knew how to fight in combat. You just never hear about that sort of thing. As she thought about it she began thinking of a legend involving a Scottish princess who fought with her mother and accidentally turned her into a bear. "Merida, I want to ask you something about a legend I heard." She said.

Merida stood and turned to look at Kagome. "Sure." She said smiling.

Kagome smiled. "There is a Scottish legend about a princess who fought with her mother because she did not want to be a princess and did not want to marry and ran from home. She ran into a witch who gave her a spell to change her destiny but the spell turned her mother into a bear instead." She said.

Merida only stood there frozen. She had no idea that had become a legend. "I know the legend." she said.

Kagome stopped and looked at Merida with a confused look.

The red head sighed. "The princess was me." She explained.

Kagome's eyes widened in astonishment. "Wow! That had to be the craziest but the greatest moral legend I have ever come across." She said smiling.

Merida smiled at Kagome. "You know my mother still makes jokes about being a bear." She laughed.

Kagome giggled and swung her arm around Meridas shoulders. "I would too if I was in that predicament."

Meridas smile widened and began to laugh when Kagome did her best impression of a bear. The two girls continued to laugh as they made it to the village. Merida thanked Kagome for letting her train with her and went into the hut the miko was kind enough to let them stay in. Merida sighed with relief when she saw it empty. No Sesshomaru ment no being teased. There was a knock by the door and she lifted the hanging matt to see who it was. Kagome stood at the entrance holding a pile of cloth and what looked like scented oils. She wasn't sure.

Kagome smiled, "Would you like to go to the hot springs with me and take a bath?" She asked.

"Sure!" Merida exclaimed and went to follow. She saw Sesshomaru entering the village and blushed before running to catch up with Kagome.

**Sesshomarus POV**

Sesshomaru spotted Merida exiting Kagomes hut and she saw him and blushed before catching up to the miko. He smiled lightly and Rin came running up to him chattering about a field of flowers she found and dragged him out of the village, the small kitsune not far behind. After they made it to the field Rin and Shippo ran into it and began picking flowers out to make crowns and necklaces. Sesshomaru sat on a small hill overlooking the flowers and began thinking about that morning.

She was very brave for even considering touching him but he couldn't help the feeling of her touch sending a thrill through his body. Those feather light touches and the feeling of her breath on his skin made him want to take her. He growled low. Thinking about it made him so confused. He hated being confused. He hardly knew her and yet he was already growing attatched to her. He wanted to just hold her in his arms and never let go.

He groaned inwardly. He feared to fall in love. He would never admit that to anyone though. Being in love meant to be weak and he was not weak. He will just have to ignore any feelings in hopes of it all passing.

**End Sesshomarus POV**

The hot springs to her were beautiful. She has never seen a hot spring before and was even more delighted by the warm water that didn't have to be boiled before hand. She moaned in pleasure as she sunk her body into the water. Kagome handed her a bottle of some good smelling soap and she saw her rubbing it into her hair so she followed her example. She loved the feeling of the bubbles in her hair. She rinsed her hair out and Kagome handed her another bottle that she said was body wash and washed her body with it. Once they were done they got out and started drying off.

Kagome handed her what looked like a robe. "It's a kimono." She said.

Merida quirked her eyebrow, "What is a kimono?" She asked.

Kagome laughed. "A kimono is what people wear here on a normal basis. It's basically a dress." She explained.

"Oh." Merida said and grabbed it to put it on. She began having some difficulty figuring it out. Kagome giggled and went about helping her. Once they were finished dressing they headed back to the village. They got to Kagome's hut and she offered her a brush. Merida was grateful for the brush and brushed her hair as much as she could. Kagome handed her a cup of tea and they sat by the fire in silence.

Once the tea was gone they began making dinner. Merida was excited about learning how to make the dishes and found that she loved how intricate each dish was. It was very different from the scottish dishes she was used to. They made Ton-jiru which Kagome explained is like miso soup but with pork and green onions and also made a side of onigiri (rice balls wrapped with nori seaweed).

Once finished everybody started filing in the hut sniffing the air as they came in. Sesshomaru was the last to enter and sat next to her. She blushed and helped Kagome set the food out for everyone. She handed Sesshomaru his dish and he grabbed the bowl brushing his fingers across hers before pulling it to himself, his eyes never leaving hers. She blushed again and grabbed her food and sat quietly next to him and took a bite.

Her eyes lit up at the taste and began shoveling it into her mouth. Once finished she sat the bowl in front of her and sighed with full belly and leaned back. She looked around the room and saw everyone staring at her. "What?" She asked confusedly.

Inuyasha being the obnoxious one asked, "Did you at least ENJOY the food?" This earned him a face to the floor via miko sitting him.

Merida blushed and giggled, "Sorry for eating like a pig but the food was just so good! We don't have food like that back home."

Kagome smiled and handed her a cup with a strong smelling liquid in it and said, "Ignore Inuyasha. He used to eat messier than that when we first met." Said hanyou grumbled something unintelligible but did nothing to defend himself and went back to eating.

Merida laughed and took a sip of the liquid coughing once it hit her throat. "What is this?!" She asked.

It was Sesshomarus turn to chuckle and explained that it was Sake and seeing her confused face explained that it was an alcohol made with fermented rice (tried it and I swear it burned my throat almost making me puke! You think tequila burns it is nothing compared to that!). Merida nodded and then took another sip this time it went down smoother. Soon she had five cups of it and her face felt warm and things were looking a little fuzzy. She giggled and leaned against Sesshomaru snuggling into his Moki Moki commenting on the softness of it earning a loud laugh from Inuyasha and Kagome giggled. Sesshomaru sighed at being caught on the end of a drunk Merida.

Kagome giggled again, "Maybe you should take Merida to bed. I apologize for getting her drunk." She said apologetically.

Sesshomaru nodded and stood pulling Merida up with him. She stumbled a bit falling into him and giggled. Sesshomaru inwardly groaned and picked her up and bowed his head in thanks before heading next door. Once in their hut he placed her on the matt and went to cover her only to have her hands on his cheeks and she was staring into his eyes intensely. He went to pull away only to feel her hold tighten. He stared back at her and she smiled pulling him closer. He could feel his heart beating faster and his beast was trying to get him to take her right then and there but he chained that idea.

Merida giggled and said, "You are the most handsome man I have ever met Sesshy."

Sesshomaru scoffed at the nickname but his ego swelled at being called the most handsome man. He pulled her hands from his cheeks and placed them on her chest gently and she was soon asleep. He smiled down at her sighing. "What are you doing to me?" He said lowly and walked over to the wall and sat leaning against it and fell into a light sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Two months have passed since Merida arrived in Japan. She was really missing her family but Kagome and the others kept her busy. She was beginning to truly enjoy herself. She began to fall in love with Rin. She was an amazing little girl and Merida was beginning to feel like a mother towards the girl. She would train every morning with Kagome and after a lot of begging got Sesshomaru to agree to train with her as well. She was excited to be training with him and was in the process of getting ready. Kagome gave her a black hakama and a dark blue kimono and black boots for her to wear during training and handed her a ribbon for her to tie her hair up in. After getting ready she grabbed her sword and ran out to the end of the village to meet up with Sesshomaru.

Beads of sweat were rolling down her face as she got up from being knocked down for about the fiftieth time. She growled and got into stance again and lunged at him only to be knocked down again. This time she didn't get up but laid there glaring daggers at him. He only smirked and held out his hand. She sighed and took his hand and started dusting herself off once she was standing again. She walked over to the tree where her canteen was and took a long gulp of the cool water relishing the feeling as it slid down her throat. She handed him the canteen and sat underneath the tree.

Sesshomaru sat next to her and chuckled at her defeated form. "You know if you keep attacking first you are always going to end up losing."

Merida glared at him. "You didn't even draw your weapon!" She exclaimed.

He laughed and leaned against the tree. "The key to an easy win is to watch your opponent. If you watch their movements you can determine their moves before they even get near you." He explained.

Merida listened to him dragging that information in. "That is something I never thought about." She smiled. "You know I was wondering. How is it that someone so powerful like you have a little girl following after him like Rin does?" She asked.

Sesshomaru smiled. "She helped me heal when I was badly hurt. Even when she herself was being beaten by her own kind she still came every day with a smile even though you could tell she was in pain. After I was healed I left. As I was leaving I could smell wolves and heard them attacking the village. I went back and found her dead. I used my Tokijin to revive her and she has followed me around ever since. I have come to love her like a daughter."

Merida smiled again. "You are amazing you know that?"

Sesshomaru looked down at her. "She is my ward and I will protect her until she decides she is ready to go out on her own."

Merida just stared at him eyes wide with surprise. She knew he was powerful but to have the power to bring someone back to life. It was crazy! She smiled though at the thought of him loving the girl like she was his own. Sesshomaru was nothing like what she expected. She expected an icy demon who cared for no one but himself and yet he was completely opposite. She felt her heart skip at the thought. She felt like she was beginning to have feelings for him. When they first met her crush was only a little flutter but soon she began learning much more about him. She liked how he was powerful yet caring. He gave instead of taking, even though she knew he could most likely take whatever he wanted without anyone fighting back.

She laughed. "I repeat my last statement. You are amazing."

Sesshomaru chuckled and stood and offered his hand out to her. "We must train some more."

Merida groaned and grabbed his hand yelping when he yanked her up. She stumbled forward and caught herself and turned quickly sweeping her leg under Sesshomaru knocking him to the ground. He stared up at her with shock. She smiled cockily down at him and stuck her tongue out and laughed. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes and was on his feet in seconds and lifted her off the ground and held her in the air by a leg. She yelled out startled and began yelling at him angrily to let her go. He complied and dropped her. She landed on her back and grunted as the wind was knocked out of her.

Once she could breath again she jumped up and began trying to hit him but he just dodged every attack making her even more angry. He soon had her on the ground and he was on top of her. She was glaring at him and he just smiled down at her. Her anger subsided and she started to laugh making him chuckle lightly. He got off of her and helped her up this time gently. She was breathing heavily and smiled up at him.

He smiled back and said. "I think training is over for the day."

Merida sighed with relief and gathered her things and they headed back to the village. Once there the two little ones ran up to them and were begging them to go to the flower field again. Merida laughed and said of course and then all three looked up at Sesshomaru with puppy dog eyes and he sighed and nodded his head. All three jumped and started giggling happily and headed off to the field. Sesshomaru chuckled and followed closely behind. Once to the field Merida and the kids started collecting flowers and making crowns.

Sesshomaru was watching them with a small smile on his lips. Well mostly watching Merida. She was so good with the kids and he enjoyed seeing her play with them. She also chastised them like they were her own. He remembers her telling him about her three younger brothers and how much trouble they used to get into. As he was watching them he noticed the air change and smelled a demon coming in fast. He jumped up and yelled for them to get behind him. The children ran hiding behind him. Merida was further down the field and was running to him when the demon jumped out of the forest and saw her then lunged for her.

Sesshomaru ran to her just in time to see Merida grab her sword and it started to glow blue and she sliced the demon in half. He stopped in his tracks and just stared at her in shock. She stood there staring at her sword in astonishment and dropped it jumping back and started freaking out. Sesshomaru rushed to her and pulled her close to him and she buried her face in his chest and started crying. Rin and Shippo ran up and hugged her legs trying to console her and were telling her how brave and incredible she was. Sesshomaru just stood there staring at the sword and back down at Merida wondering what just happened.

They were all now sitting in the hut and had just told the others what happened They all just stared at Merida in shock and wonderment. Kagome was the first to speak.

She placed her hand on Meridas in a comforting way and said, "I knew there was something special about you."

Merida looked up at her and a small smile played across her lips. "I have no idea what happened though. I turned to see the demon right on top of me and grabbed my sword to defend myself and it began glowing blue and I just swung and sliced the demon clean in half. It felt so strange. Like I was being surrounded by a strange power and it coiled into the sword."

Kagome smiled. "It is called youki. I can feel it rolling off of you now. Before I could not feel anything but now I can see that you are a half demon. Apparently a spell was placed on you to conceal your identity. For what reason I do not know. The spell is still partially intact. I want you to hold still for a moment so I can remove it."

She raised her hands and held them in front of Merida and began chanting and her hands began glowing. Merida fidgeted a bit and glanced over at Sesshomaru nervously. He gave her a look that said things will be ok. She nodded and looked back at Kagome. She started to feel weird and felt herself changing. She felt fangs grow in her mouth and her skin felt a little tighter and her sight became sharper she could hear things sharper as well.

Sesshomaru stared in amazement as her appearance began changing. He was amazed at the fact that she was a half demon. He couldn't believe he didn't notice it before. She was stronger than an average female. She could take a beating that was for sure. He noticed her eyes change from the ocean blue to a sharper blue that he swore glowed in the darkness of the hut. Her skin paled and she grew claws. Blue markings sprawled on her skin that looked just like his. Her ears disappeared and fox ears appeared on top of her head. Her body tightened slightly and her womanly areas became more filled and she grew a little taller and a bushy red tail formed behind her.

Kagomed let out a sigh as she finished and dropped her hands to her lap and her jaw dropped at the sight of Merida. She looked beautiful! She saw the ears on her head and giggled when they twitched the way Inuyashas does. She handed Merida a mirror and she jumped up and stared at herself in amazement. Kagome looked back at Sesshomaru and saw that he was giving Merida a look of longing and smiled. 'So he has a crush on her eh? This is going to be interesting.' She thought to herself.


	7. Chapter 7

Merida stared at her reflection in disbelief. How could this be kept from her for so many years? She always knew she was different. She always felt like she was trapped and felt the need to be free. Now she understood why she felt that way. Anger rushed through her at the thought of this being kept from her. She handed the mirror back to Kagome swiftly and stood quickly leaving the hut and running to god knows where to be left alone.

Sesshomaru watched as many emotions passed across her face before settling on anger. He watched her leave in a hurried emotion and felt her aura flying around in anger as she left the village never slowing. He stood and excused himself and left the hut calmly walking through the village. Once he reached the outskirts he felt her aura slow to a stop giving him the go ahead to find her. He called forth his cloud and flew to her location. Landing softly beside her he placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned burying her head in his chest and began to cry as she finally let all her emotions flow.

Minutes passed by and her tears finally stopped and he was rubbing her back in calming circles. She looked up at him and hiccupped. He smiled softly down at her and wiped her face off with his sleeve. She stared up at him while biting her lip. The sight made his mind go fuzzy and before he knew it he was kissing her. Heat rushed through his body at the feeling of her soft lips on his. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her flat against him pressing his lips a little harder against hers.

Meridas eyes widened as Sesshomaru kissed her. Her head became fuzzy and her body heated up. She felt his arms wrap around her waist and pull her closer to him. She could feel his muscles under his top and his lips pressed harder to hers. His tongue ran across her bottom lip making her gasp. He took this opportunity to push his tongue into her mouth. She moaned low as his tongue massaged hers and her hands flew to his hair running her fingers through it and gripping the back of his head. She heard him growl making her come back to her senses.

Sesshomaru felt her body tense and pulled back slightly looking into her eyes. Her eyes were filled with fear and confusion. Before he knew it she had pulled away and looked like she was about to cry again. He reached out to her and she flinched away making him drop his hands back to his sides. She stood there shaking her head and staring at the ground as if she was at war with herself. He heard her say sorry as she turned and ran. He stood there as anger rushed through him. He was rejected and by the only woman who actually accepted him and he had to go and kiss her. He felt as if his world was crashing down on him and he did the only thing that he could think of in order to calm himself. He transformed into his true form and began to hunt in order to let out his frustrations. He let out a loud howl and ran in hopes of qualming his anger.

Merida was running when she heard a loud howl. She stopped and turned as she saw a big white dog run out of the field. Feeling his aura in waves she knew it was Sesshomaru. The howl shook through her. She felt the pain and anger in it. She began to cry. So much was happening she didn't know what to do. First she finds out that she was actually half demon and now her friend and sparring partner, the only person who she cared for had kissed her and she had run.

She dropped to the ground, she could still feel his lips on hers and touched her lips gently. She thought about how it felt. Her world spun as he had kissed her. She felt her body heat up at his touch and she realized that she had fallen for the youkai. She jumped to her feet and began running in the direction the great youkai had. As she made it to the tree line she was grabbed from behind and let out a loud scream before everything went dark.

As Sesshomaru was running through the woods he heard a loud scream and realized that it was Meridas and turned to run back to the clearing. When he got there she was nowhere to be found. He sniffed around the clearing and found her scent mixed with another. He growled angrily and tranformed back into his human form and began tracking there destination. He would get Merida back by any means necessary.

Merida awoke in what smelled like a damp cave. The only light was coming from a small fire a few feet in front of her casting eerie shadows across the cave walls. She sniffed the air but could only smell the smoke. She growled low and went to stand only to find that her hands and feet were bound. She cursed under her breath and heard a chuckle coming from the opening of the cave. Her eyes shot up and saw a figure in the mouth of the cave. She glared daggers at the person before shouting, "Who the hell are you and where the hell are we?!"

The person chuckled again and walked further into the cave letting the fire illuminate their form. She gasped as she saw that instead of a man it was a woman. She could see that she had the same markings as Sesshomaru except for the crescent on her head. She realized that this woman was a dog demon and a full blooded one at that. She looked at Merida with a smile on her face but she could see in her eyes that she wanted Merida dead. Merida shivered at the feel of her icy glare on her. "What do you want with me?" She asked with a little less anger and more fear.

The woman smiled evily, "I want you dead." She said with malice.

Merida wimpered. "Why do you want me dead?" She asked fearfully.

The woman walked around the fire and squatted in front of Merida and ran a claw down her cheek before grabbing her chin. "Because my dear. You weren't supposed to come back."

Merida gasped and felt a pinch on her neck before everything went black.

The woman stared down at Merida with hatred in her eyes. She was angry that the girl had returned. Angry that the man she loved had kissed this half breed wench. She was even more angry at the fact that her father had failed in the attempt to get rid of Sesshomarus destined mate. She was to be his mate not this disgusting excuse of a being. She was going to enjoy killing her right in front of him. With that thought she began laughing maniacally.


	8. Chapter 8

Merida sat glaring at the demoness across from her. She had woken up a few hours ago and had yelled a few obscenities at her and in turn got smacked hard against the face causing lights to dance in front of her eyes. Merida took that as the demonesses way of saying 'shut up or I'll do much worse' so she took to glaring instead. The woman paced the cave angrily looking every once in a while at Merida with pure malice in her eyes.

Merida could not understand what was going on. She wanted to know what the woman meant by saying that she wasn't supposed to come back. It was all so confusing. She wished Sesshomaru were here. She groaned and leaned back. The woman paused and glared at her then stomped over to Merida and knealed down so she was at level with her. Merida wanted badly to just spit in her face but subdued that idea for she knew it would not end well.

"I suppose I should fill you in before he arrives." She said amusedly.

Merida narrowed her eyes but said nothing. She watched the woman smile as if amused by her and stood walking to the cave of the mouth and placed a barrier over the opening before turning back and sitting in front of the fire. She placed her hands in her lap and began.

"When I was young my father introduced me to the Taisho family. He was their healer and wanted more for me so introducing me to them would put me in court. He also had a gift. A gift to see the future. When I told him of my intentions to marry Sesshomaru-sama he was all but happy to do whatever it took for it to be so." She paused for a moment before continuing.

"One night as we ate he had a vision. It just so happened to be the same night you were born. His vision prophesized that you were Lord Sesshomarus destined mate." She growled angrily at this.

Merida could do nothing but gasp. That would explain why she felt so attatched to him. Why she could read him so well like no other could. She fumbled a bit and sat up straight and stared hard at the woman across from her. Frustrated that this all was kept from her.

The demoness smiled as this new information getting to the girl. "Once we found out exactly who you were we located you and cast a concealment charm and stole you away from your family and sent you to another time and land through a portal. Little did we know you would return. Once I heard that you returned I sought you out. Finding you with none other than the man who we tried to keep you from. I spent years trying to get his attention." She stood angrily walking over to her.

"I sacrificed everything to get to my position in court. But you had to return and steal him from me!" With that she slapped Merida hard making her fall to her side.

Merida wimpered at the pain and tried to calm her growing rage. So many years never feeling like herself. Never understanding why she felt so different from everyone else. Even her family kept the secret that she wasn't even blood related. She felt so alone and betrayed. She could not believe this was happening.

She struggled back into a sitting position growling angrily at the woman. "You are pathetic!" She exclaimed.

The demoness growled angrily at her. "You are the pathetic one. Half breed. Lord Sesshomaru deserves a strong full blooded youkai. Not some weak excuse of a hanyou."

Merida chuckled mockingly. "You are the one who is weak. You go to desperate measures to get what you want. He obviously doesn't like you if he was kissing me. You are so desperate and yet you don't see that he will never want you."

The woman growled angrily and punched Merida square in the jaw and began kicking her in the stomach and ribs. "You will pay for your insolence half breed!" She kicked Merida once more breaking one of her ribs in the process.

Merida gasped in agony feeling the break and nausea coiled in her stomach. She rolled to the side and dry heaved trying to catch her breath. She stared up at the woman and growled. "Sesshomaru will get you for this. I can feel him closing in. You will regret everything you have ever done." She smiled evily at the woman as she watched a flash of fear play across her face.

The demoness growled and kicked Merida in the face knocking her out. "We shall see." She said maliciously.

Sesshomaru was trudging through the forest angrily as he tracked down the woman. He hated her with every fiber of his beaing. When he saw her in court he tried everything to avoid her. He could alway sense something off about her. Like there was a plot rolling around in her head. He guessed his intuition was correct. Akari was a deeply troubled demoness and was in for a world of hurt for taking Merida. He punched a tree making it shatter into millions of splinters. He growled low and continued his journey. Their scent was getting stronger. Smelling like they were perhaps a few hours away. He sped up his pace to hurry there quicker.

In an hour he had made it to the cave and saw a barrier placed around the mouth. He scoffed at her idiocy thinking that he wouldn't be able to see it. He walked through the barrier and stood at the opening of the cave. He waited for his eyes to adust and saw Merida at the far end of the cave unconcious. He could smell her blood making his eyes bleed red. He went over to her and looked over her body for any serious injuries. Seeing none he sighed with relief. He felt her demon blood repairing her injuries and ran his hand over her face softly.

"Merida." He said softly.

Merida groaned and opened her eyes slowly. She jumped when she saw Sesshomaru and grimaced in pain. Her ribs were still bruised but she felt that it was not broken any longer. She sat up slowly and grimaced at the pain. He stood and helped her up.

He hugged her gently. "I thought I lost you." He whispered.

Merida buried her head in his chest. "I'm sorry." She said sadly.

Sesshomaru pulled her out and stared into her eyes. "I am the one that should be sorry." He said with remorse.

Merida smiled up at him and kissed him deeply before pulling away. "We should go before she gets back."

Sesshomaru nodded and they turned to leave only to find Akari standing in the entrance. He pushed Merida behind him and growled low. "Akari. You will not get in my way. Leave or die."

Akari smiled a sickenly sweet smile. "Oh Lord Sesshomaru, I don't think you are in the right place to be making such threats. You see, your little half-breed is going to die. I have poisoned her. It should be taking effect any moment now."

As she said that Merida gasped in pain and crumpled to the floor. Sesshomaru dropped to her and sniffed her finding that she had indeed been poisoned. He growled angrily at himself for not smelling it before. He shot up and charged Akari.


	9. Chapter 9

Akari dodged Sesshomaru just barely and slashed her claws at him in attempt to slow him down. He swiftly dodged her attack and summoned his poison claws and slashed at her. She dodged but not before being sprayed in the face with his acid. She screamed in agony at the pain and drew her sword. "If I can't have you no one can!" She then charged him swinging her sword at his front. He jumped back and summoned his whip. He shot the whip forward and it wrapped around her ankle. He smirked and yanked the whip causing her to fall to the floor. She dropped her sword as she fell and it skittered across the floor landing far away from her.

Sesshomaru stood over her with a look of pure fury on his face. She looked up at him with terror in her eyes. Sesshomaru leaned down and placed his claws on her chest right above her heart. "You have lost wench. For your treason against me and for the harm of my intended you are hereby stripped of your status in my court and sentenced to death. I will take you to my lands and you will be held in the dungeons until your sentence has been carried out." He binded her with ropes and made sure to place a barrier over the binds so she would not be able to free herself. Once he was finished he strode over to Merida and picked her up pulling her close to him nuzzling her neck in a comforting manner when she groaned in pain. He made Akari stand and had her stand in front of him. He summoned his cloud and began his way to the western lands.

They made it to his castle within the hour. He threw Akari to the guards telling them of her crimes and then hurried into the castle calling for the healer as he made his way to his room. Once there he gently laid her on his bed and grabbed a cloth dunking it in the water from his basin and placed it on her forhead.

The healer came in and bowed to him. "What is it that you need my lord?" He asked concerned.

"She has been poisoned. I need for you to heal her. Do everything possible to save her." He said without looking away from Merida.

The healer began brewing an antidote which made Sesshomarus nose burn from the smell. Once the healer finished he had Sesshomaru lift Merida so that she would not choke. Merida drank every last drop even though she was very weak and had a hard time even swallowing. Sesshomaru laid her back down gently and covered her with a blanket.

"It will take some time for the antidote to take effect. She will need plenty of rest. I will come back in the morning with another dose for her to take. We will know in a few days if it has worked." He bowed and left the room.

Merida weakly reached up placing her hand on his cheek. "Everything will be ok Sesshomaru." She smiled and closed her eyes falling asleep.

Sesshomaru smiled down at her and ran his hand over her hair. "I hope so." He said more to himself than her.

(Dream sequence)

_ The faces of two strangers, a man and woman stared down at her smiling. The woman was human with light brown hair and blue eyes and the man was full blooded fox youkai. He had pale skin, green eyes, and red slightly curly hair. He picked up Merida in his arms and held her close as he stared down at her softly._

_ The two strangers began talking but Merida didn't understand what they were saying. Loud noises emitted from the front of the house and Merida was handed back to the woman. She heard louder noises and hollering coming from the other room. The woman had a look of terror on her face and began running from the house holding Merida close to her chest._

_ There was a flash of white and a scream of desperation and agony that made Merida cringe. She looked up and saw Akari glaring down at her with so much malice then everything went dark._

(End dream)

Merida shot up screaming not even feeling the pain from her sore muscles. Arms encompassed her and pulled her close to them. She instantly calmed down her heart still fluttering in her chest. She looked up and saw Sesshomaru looking at her with worried eyes. She sighed and reached her hands up placing them gently on his. She felt him nuzzling her neck and smiled.

"I'm sorry." She said frowning.

Sesshomaru turned her gently so she faced him. "What is there to be sorry for?" He asked confused.

She began fidgeting with her hair. "I thought about the kiss."

Sesshomaru dropped his arms but did not move.

She continued but felt cold from his missing arms. "I think...I think I might be in love with you." She finished blushing.

Sesshomaru stared down at her trying to register what she just said. She loved him? He felt joy swell in him and pulled her close to him. Merida sat there nibbling her lip. He continued to stare at her and she began getting lost in his eyes. Before she knew it she was leaning up and began kissing him gently.

Sesshomarus eyes widened at her forwardness. He growled low before deepening the kiss. He felt like the happiest demon in the world. They pulled away for air and he smiled down at her. Her eyes were glazed over and a blush was spread across her face. He chuckled and kissed her on the forehead gently.

Merida smiled and layed her head on his chest. "So how long was I out?" She asked.

"Three days." Sesshomaru answered.

Merida stiffened. "Three days?!" She exclaimed.

Sesshomaru winced at the sudden loud voice in his ears.

Merida saw him wince. "Oops. Sorry Sesshomaru." She smiled sheepishly.

Sesshomaru smiled down at her and began laying her down on the bed. "Sleep. You will need a little more rest before you can move freely."

Merida nodded. "Okay. Will you stay with me?" She asked desperately.

Sesshomaru nodded and Merida sighed with relief and closed her eyes. Sesshomaru ran his fingers through her hair making her relax completely and she soon drifted off to sleep. Sesshomaru heard her breathing even out and watched her sleep. He was still worried about her waking up the way she did. She looked so scared. He would have to have a discussion with her once she was fully healed. He layed down next to her and pulled her close to him. He soon fell asleep to the sound of her heart beat and warmth emanating from her body.

(A/N): Hey guys! I am so happy on how many views I have gotten on this story! A special thanks to Defrali for your review and compliment for my writing skills. I absolutely take great pride in my writing skills. I love writing ever since I learned how to when I was four! hehe. Well I would definitely love more reviews! Please and thank you!


	10. Chapter 10

Akari stood in front of the council shaking in fear. Sesshomaru sat next to the head of the council Lord Takashi. He stared down at her with a calm face. Sesshomaru knew that a calm face meant that he was indeed not calm. He had just finished explaining to the council of Akari's transgressions. The room was quiet as Lord Takashi mulled over the the verdict. Sesshomaru glared down at Akari watching her eyes flit from one councilman to another. He glanced over to Lord Takashi and saw the look on his face. He was trying greatly to not look angry but his emotions began peeking through. He leaned over and mumbled something to his neighbor. He whispered something back and Lord Takashi nodded and stood.

"I have heard all I need to hear. Akari you have done something so treacherous I am ashamed of you. You have no respect for yourself or others. To do something so low it is disgusting. I sentence you to banishment." He paused for a moment before continuing. "This banishment will be carried out by Lady InuKimi who will take you to the borders of the dead. You are to be banished to the land of the dead. We will not kill you. You will live in constant fear of death. May the gods have mercy on you, even though you deserve whatever comes your way." He turned to Sesshomaru and bowed before leaving.

Sesshomaru stood and made his way to Akari. She stared up at him with fear her body shaking in terror. "You are lucky to live. If I had any say in it you would be tortued slowly until you die. You are a despicable being and as such you should fear for your life. Be this a warning to you. If you ever find a way out of that place I will be waiting for you." With that he left hearing her pleads of mercy.

He stalked through the halls in anger trying to calm himself. He wanted her to suffer. He felt that her sentence was not harsh enough. He flexed his hands and resisted the urge to punch something. He took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly in order to calm himself. He wanted to just turn around and just slash her throat and watch her bleed to death on the floor. He wanted to watch her scramble desperately for air as the blood flowed from her neck. He growled angrily and dragged himself further from the hall heading to the only thing that he knew would calm him down in an instant.

He found his way to Meridas room and stopped short after entering. He stared at the most beautiful sight. He was practically drooling over the sight of her. He wanted to take her right then and their but kept his composure. He did not want to scare her off. He feared to repeat what had transpired a week ago. He watched her twirl and laugh making him smile at her childish behavior. She stopped when she caught sight of him and noticed her blush. He loved it when she blushed.

Merida stood by the mirror as the maid helped her get dressed. She knew how to get dressed in normal Kimonos but these extravagant one were proving to be more trouble than they were worth. She felt like she was carrying a lot of potato sacks. Once the maid finished she was ushered over to a vanity table and they began working on her unruly hair. After many failed attempts at controling it they settled on braiding two pieces puling them to the back and braiding the two together in the back. They didn't bother putting make-up on her claiming that she was already to beautiful. She blushed and walked over to the tall mirror and looked over her outfit. She loved how beautiful it was. The outer layer was light blue with pink cherry blossoms that looked like they were flowing in the wind. She had three more layers under that not including the inner kimono that varied in pinks and blues. She smiled at her reflection. She had to admit it was a step up from the traditional scottish dresses. She twirled and giggled and stopped when she saw Sesshomaru standing in the doorway.

She blushed and bowed to him. He trailed over to her and ran his hand gently across her cheek. "Beautiful." He said making her blush even deeper.

"T-thank you Sesshomaru." She said. She fiddled with the sleeves of her kimono while biting her lower lip.

He smiled down at her. He loved it when she bit her lip. It made her look adorable. He grabbed her chin gently with his finger and tilted her head up before leaning down and claiming her lips with his and held her in a gentle caress. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a deeper kiss. The room began to swirl as they were lost in each others embrace not noticing when someone entered the room. They heard a cough making them reluctantly pull away turning to see a woman who looked a lot like Sesshomaru.

Merida kept looking in between both her and Sesshomaru seeing the clear resemblance. Pulling herself together she made her way to the woman and bowed low. "It is nice to meet you. You must be Sesshomaru's mother."

Said woman stared down at the woman questioningly before looking over to her son and smiled knowingly. "You may rise dear. No need to bow to me. I am going to be your future mother-in-law after all. You can call me InuKimi" She said and made her way into the room and instructed the maid to fetch them some tea and sat at the table in the middle of the room. "Come Merida. There is much we need to discuss." She patted the spot next to her and Merida nervously sat down facing her. Sesshomaru stiffly sat across from them and said nothing.

InuKimi smiled sweetly and gently grabbed Meridas hand. "How are you liking your new home so far my dear?" She asked.

Merida looked at her questioningly. "I am liking it so far. I am very happy to be able to be in Sesshomarus home. It is very beautiful." She answered.

InuKimi smiled again and rejoiced that the tea had arrived. Once the cups were filled she took a sip and placed it back on the table before continuing. "I am pleased by your response Merida. You are quite beautiful. No wonder you have caught my sons eye." She said making Merida blush and look over at Sesshomaru shyly.

Sesshomaru smiled lightly at her before turning to his mother. "Mother. I know that you are not here to make small talk so get on with it." He said stoicly.

Merida stared at him in shock. "Sesshomaru! That is no way to speak to your mother!" She said angrily.

InuKimi patted her shoulder. "It is alright my dear. We have never been on the best of terms." She said sadly.

Merida paused and turned to see InuKimi frowning sadly and looked back at Sesshomaru. "What is going on?" She asked.

InuKimi took another sip of her tea and patted Meridas hand gently, "When Sesshomaru was young I and his father were separated. He left me for a human princess and impregnated her with InuYasha. When I had found out I had left the castle to my castle in the sky because I was so distraught over the betrayal. I would talk to no one. That included my son. I regret for treating him the way I had but I can not go back and change the past. I can only hope for the future and hope that one day my son will forgive me. I will do everything I can to be the mother I should have been all those years ago."

Merida felt her eyes sting as tears formed. She blinked the tears back and turned to Sesshomaru to see him looking at his mother with wide eyes but still held up his icy mask. She stared into his eyes and saw many emotions swirling in a conflicting storm. She saw anger, confusion, pain, and longing. "I know that even though I am not a part of this family but I am going to tell you both what I learned when I was younger. My mother and I were not on the best of terms. We fought on a regular basis. She tried to control me and I wanted to be my own person. I did a horrible thing and had my mother turned into a bear. It was an accident mind you and I regreted it instantly. I feared that I would lose her because even though she was a controling mother I knew deep down that she cared for me and loved me and just wanted me to have a future. Once I broke the spell we had a bond stronger than ever. So the moral of my story is that even though you may have not gotten along in the past there is still a chance to mend the bond." She grabbed both of their hands gently before continuing. "You only have one mother Sesshomaru. It will be hard to forgive her but in the end your bond will be stronger than ever."

InuKimi bit back a sob as she stared at Merida. She was a intelligent being. She could not have been prouder of her sons choice in a mate. She glanced over to Sesshomaru and saw something she never thought she would see. Sesshomaru smiled. She gasped in surprise and his head snapped to look at her. He stared at her with a confused look before he turned to look back at Merida.

He sighed in defeat and nodded. "Alright. I am willing to try for you Merida."

Merida smiled widely and bounced in her spot excitedly. InuKimi smiled proudly at her son. This is the happiest moment of her life and she would do anything to make sure that the bond will remain strong.

(A/N): This is just the beginning. There is a lot more to go! So please stay with me! I got a lot to do this month so I will try and update when I can. I have a few other stories I am writing as well if you would like to check them out. Thank you for your loyalty and patience. Reviews are welcomed!


End file.
